Seeking Shelter
by silvi-hc
Summary: When you leave hell there should be only one place you could go to, shouldn’t there? (This hell isn’t the actual one, you know with the fire and brimstone. After all there is such a thing as Hell on Earth.) I was at a loss on what to say in the summary th
1. Default Chapter

**Title: **Seeking Shelter  
**Author:** Silvi (Henna)  
**Fandom:** Btvs/Ats  
**Genre:** Angst.  
**Rating:** Due to the undercurrents I would have to put this at a FRM. (In the old ratings that would be R )  
**Characters/Pairing:** Angel/Penn/Spike, Angel/Cordy (friendship)  
**Warnings:** Allude to disturbing image, Tort. Nothing graphic.  
**Spoilers:** some allude to "In the Dark". The Initiative. Season 1 of Angel and 4 of Buffy

**AN:** I was reading some of BuffyWatcher's (Don't know if I spelled the name right) stories today (May 11th, 2005) and this for some reason came into my mind. It's not the first time she has inspired me to write but this is the first story I post that is. So hope you guys like it. It has some of my most favourite characters.

_Thank you a lot Pat for betaing this and also my sister for taking time and cast an eye on this even though she had a lot of other things to do._

**Summary: **When you leave hell there should be only one place you could go to, shouldn't there? (This hell isn't the actual one, you know with the fire and brimstone. After all there is such a thing as Hell on Earth.) I was at a loss on what to say in the summary that wouldn't spoil the story, that's the reason for such a poor one.

* * *

Part 1.

They looked at each other. The silence was impossible to escape and yet everything seemed so loud. The last words spoken still seem to echo around them, neither sure who had been the one to utter them, nor willing to admit they expressed an undeniable necessity. It clawed at theirs minds as neither of them wanted to do it.

The mere thought of actually complying with them made them feel physically ill, at least for one of them. But there was no choice. They were both lost on what to do now that they had managed the impossible. But the task ahead of them, the mere prospect of what they might have to do to convince him to help them made what they had just gone through seemed like a soft breeze.

It gave them a slight sense of vertigo, in this case a very bad sensation. They both looked into each others eyes seemingly oblivious to their surroundings. That was not the case, they may not have taken their eyes off each other for what seemed like an eternity but they were more then aware of what went on around them. Their senses were on full alert hearing the slightest shift or movement from either them or any of the little creatures that came out during the night.

They had been unobservant once, and that was a mistake they were hardly ever going to repeat. They were, for a lack of a better word, hiding, hunched behind a congregation of bushes while gathering the strength they had left to do what had to be done.

They had both lived a long time and experienced what most humans couldn't even conceive of but what they had gone through these last couple of weeks made even _their_ skin crawl.

They were both fair looking men, or at least they were when they didn't look like they had gone through hell. One was more slender built then the other but nevertheless his build could hold a menace that made him hard to ignore.

If the one they would sooner or later be force to seek help from if they were going to actually do something had seen them now, he would have been hard pressed to recognise them as neither of them held at the moment any of the proud stance that characterized them.

They weren't broken, never that, they were just temporarily off their game and if there was any justice or plain old hope left for creatures that shouldn't even need that sentiment, they would never be what those ignorant idiotic humans had tried to make of them.

Having his hearing tune to the area around him the elder of them two decided to finally break the silence.

"Will…"

Shaking his head the other one mumbled, "Don't, please, not now."

"We have to move now, this reprieve won't last, and you know that as well as I do."

Looking into the eyes of his elder sibling, one he hadn't seen for more years than he cared to think about, almost as long as the other one… he continues to shake his head.

"You don't understand. What makes you think he will help us?"

"It is his duty. He has to. I refuse to believe he has changed that much." His voice tapered off like he wasn't so sure anymore.

Sombre eyes met his, "You don't know….. you weren't there…." The blonde cut himself off before he could finish whatever he had wanted to say. There were dark memories haunting those blue eyes when he looked up towards his elder. Trying to shake off those memories Will shook his head and gave the other one a passable grin.

"Besides, we didn't exactly part on good terms. If I remember correctly I actually had him tortured, well it was supposed to be that but he didn't seemed much fazed by it, not that I blame him. Marcus was a bloody joke. I could have done a better job in my sleep. "

"Really? One of these days you'll have to tell me what happened but now is not the time. Sooner or later they will pass here and I refuse to be taken back. This is not how I am suppose to end up."

As he stood, the smaller of them two grabbed his arms before he could sneak out of the protecting shield of the bushes, "He is going to kill us!"

Shaking off the restricting hold on him he growled at the still hunching figure before him.

"You don't know that! Besides, what do you think they will do? "He said jerking in the direction that they both could now hear they were approaching from.

"What do you prefer, he might kill us, true, but they surely will. I can guarantee you that it will be well after we're passed the point of wanting death. I don't care that you might have fucked it up for all of us but I'm willing to take a chance."

"Arrggg." The other growled a semi whine mixed in somewhere in that sound. Rubbing his eyes he then looked at the leaf covered ground, "I can't bloody take this."

"Well you have to make a choice Will, and time is running out, we can't fight them as we are now."

Grabbing Will by his shoulder he dragged him up and as he wobbled he helped steady him.

At the younger one's nod he began to quietly drag him away from the approaching group. They were far enough away from them that their equipment wouldn't pick up on their whereabouts just yet, but if they had waited a few minutes more that would no longer have been the case.

He cringed from time to time as their progress wasn't as silent as he would have liked but neither was in any condition to take full advantage of their vampiric nature. Fortunately it was not loud enough to ever reach the ears of the humans looking for them.

He needed to find transport and fast and get the hell out of Dodge, or Sunnyhell as the case was. At the same time he need to avoid the slayer who, he had heard from the other demons, had made her base here. Will unfortunately had confirmed that to be true.

Will, now that had been one heck of a nasty surprise. To see him. He would never even in a thousand years have thought that the next time he would see the youngest of their family it would be in a place like that.

It reminded him too much of what he had witnessed in the second big war. Why humans always needed an excuse to hide behind science to commit acts that could rival any 'real' evil baffled him and made him slightly sick to his stomach, the bunch of fucking hypocrites. No wonder he couldn't stand for that particular trait in anyone no matter what they were, or why he didn't particular like humans in general.

The things he was forced to go through and what Will had was really…True he had been through worse when he had gotten himself on the bad side of his sire, not to mention grandsire as she furiously protected her child from any slight she perceived was against him, but what had gotten to him was the utter lack of emotion behind the knife or what ever tools they had used on him.

He was really nothing more then a bug under a microscope. Even at their worst both his sire and grandsire had been passionate in the punishment they dealt out to their childer. It was personal and right up your face.

Shaking off his thoughts he halted as Will pulled on him to make him stop. Annoyed he turned around to reprimand as they had no time to waste. Not if they wanted to find shelter. Before he could say anything though, Will pointed out at what had caught his attention. Following him as he was now the one to being dragged his eyes momentarily lit up as he caught on to what Will wanted.

Not far from them parked against the sidewalk was a car and seemingly in good condition too. Hurrying after Will he couldn't help but swat his backside in a show of his appreciation. He grinned at him as Will scowled back, though mentally he cringed as the flinch Will had made hadn't gone un-noticed. Stupid fool, how could he have forgotten? No, not forgotten, just temporarily repressed.

Standing beside the car they both peered into the car. This would do. It would take them out of here which was the number one priority. He would have to think on how to approach the next steps when they reached their destination but…cross one bridge at a time, he thought, one bridge at a time.

Indicating for Will to go to the other side he managed to break open the door with minimum damage. Slipping behind the wheel he watched as Will pulled the tatters of his clothes around him as best as he could and did the same.

Swallowing the bile that rose in his throat at the sight of him he forcibly turned his attention into hotwiring the car. They had been though a rough time and living off nothing did tend to make one look rather horrid.

At least Will wasn't the only one looking like that as he too was in much the same state, perhaps with more scars then him as he had been in that place longer but still very much the same.

He hoped that with time they would fade, all of it, not due to any vanity but because he didn't want any reminder of that place. He swore, as he watched Will shake as the younger vampire ran a finger along a long scar that ran the whole length of his inner thigh, that he would see that place destroyed.

If his sire wouldn't help him, which Will seemed to think he wouldn't, then he had no doubt that it would be easy to find some demons that would be more then willing to take up the torch.

He was damn well willing to make this into to an all out war. If things went to pish-pot after that…well not his problem, as the slow burn of vengeance began to grow in him, and with little attention it wouldn't take much to make it into a bonfire.

As the engine chirped and began to purr he cast one final look at Will who was staring out the window and then with one final glance at the truly hellish town he floored the gas and shot out of there.

Within minutes they had left the town behind them. They wouldn't reach the city tonight as the sunrise wasn't really that far off but at least they would be out of that town.

The silence was heavy until Will finally broke it seemingly like he was just continuing a conversation from before. "How come you know how to hot wire a car anyway?"

"The same way you do." He answered, the first real smile gracing his lips for the first time in what felt like years. Will was rather somewhat of a wild one and sometimes he had been forced to make a quick exit if he had wanted to pull himself and Drusilla out of the 'fire'. Knowing how to hotwire a car had come in handy many times.

"Oh."

And then silence again. There were a lot of questions he wanted to ask Will now that the immediate danger was over, for now anyway, but looking over at Will he knew now was not the time.

Will had fallen asleep as exhaustion finally had claimed him. He wished he could do the same but someone had to drive and take them as close to the city as they could before the sun rose.

As the time to head off the road neared he started to look for a motel and with just ten minutes to spare he found one. Parking he stepped out of the car. Closing the door he went to the other side and opened it quickly catching Will as he began to fall out. He had been resting against the door and not having put on a seatbelt he would have toppled to the ground if he hadn't caught him.

Shaking him he told him to wake up before they were both caught out there and turned into a couple of crispy critters.

Blearily looking up at him Will pulled himself up straightening out and stepped out as well. Walking into the office the only indication they got from the guy sitting behind the counter of his surprise to see them and in what state they were in was the slight jerk that went through his thin frame.

They had no problem getting a room though as he paid with the money he had found in the car. He wished he could kill him but he knew that the only one paying for that would be him.

Once again he cursed in every language he knew of what they had done to him. Done to _them_ he amended as he saw Will or Spike as he adamantly demanded to be called as they walked into the room.

Too weary to argue or to do anything but sleep he fell on top of the bed and within moments he was fast asleep as the aches in his body and the shear exhaustion that was in his very being finally swallowed him whole.

He didn't notice when Spike closed the curtains or when he gingerly lay next to him favouring his right side.

Spike furiously prayed to any deities that might listen to vampires that his stunt with Marcus hadn't ruin everything. He hoped that if Angel wasn't going to help him that he didn't let it go past him and would actually help Penn as he had nothing to do with that little incident.

He slowly brought forth a finger and let it ghost over the features of the figure lying next to him. The sight made him want to cry. He had never seen him look so bad and he knew that he was just holding on by a thread.

For all of his memories he had always been the strong one, the one to keep a cool head when everyone else, him, were too busy panicking or throwing a tantrum and seeing him like this, it made that image he had of him as unbreakable in his head crack a little around the edges.

Making a decision he finally closed his eyes and went to sleep.

He was going to do everything in his power to see that at least Penn got help, and every one of those fuckers that ever laid a finger on him would pay.

TBC


	2. Part 2 of 4

**Title: **Seeking Shelter  
**Author:** Silvi (Henna)  
**Fandom:** Btvs/Ats  
**Genre:** Angst.  
**Rating:** Due to the undercurrents I would have to put this at a FRM. (In the old ratings that would be R )

**For further Disclaimers see part 1**

**Summary:** Continues where Part one left of. The next evening.

* * *

Part 2

The next night they both found themselves entering the outer limits of the city.

They had both woken up the moment the sun disappeared behind the horizon and without much fuss they had gone to the car. Five minutes after waking up they were on the road.

Hunger was ever present but neither of them where in a position to do anything about it and they knew it.

It wasn't the first time they had to face the gnawing sensation of hunger on the edge of starvation as ever since they found themselves in that place that sensation never really left.

The closer they got to the city Penn noticed that Spike got more and more nervous.

"Why are you nervous Will?" he asked, "If he's not going to help us I'm not going to let him hurt you."

"Spike. It's Spike now, Penn." Looking him over deliberately he arched an eyebrow. "You're not exactly in the condition to do anything."

"I'm still not going to let him hurt you." Penn said stubbornly his lips set in a firm line. "At least that I have a more then passing chance to stop." He finished quietly seeing from the corner of his eyes Spike involuntarily flinch.

As they got in the city Penn decided to dump the car. Stopping in an obscure parking place he killed the engine. He had deliberately not stopped anywhere near what was supposedly theirs sire's place as he didn't want to risk any discovery from their enemies.

Sitting there both were reluctant to leave. Penn rubbed his face and sighed. Nudging Spike he said, "Come on."

Nodding tiredly Spike joined Penn beside the car once again trying to wrap the remains of his clothes around him. He felt really exposed and a big part of him admired the way that Penn managed to not seem at all ill at ease with the state of his person.

He surmised that they should really avoid any contact with anyone as they were most likely to give whoever saw them a heart attack. A prospect that would usually amuse him but would be the bad kind of attention they really didn't need as he had no doubt those damn human were still looking for them.

As Penn started to walk he fell in step beside him, his naked feet joining Penn's making soft tape-ti-tap sounds on the pavement.

They stuck to the shadows and back-ways and after a while the building they searched for loomed before them.

When Spike saw the building he wished in a way that he had never returned to Sunnydale. Though, he thought as he looked at Penn, if he hadn't he would never had know that Penn was stuck in that place, really never have met Penn again at all as the likelihood that Penn would have managed to escape alone were close to if not in fact non-existant.

They managed to move undetected by anyone – humans and demons alike and it was about damn time they got there as Spike was hardly able to take another step. His feet left faint blood prints on the ground and his shaking form was no longer able to be ignored.

Stopping Penn walked the few steps that separated him from Spike and wrapped an arm around him quietly urging him on. As they entered the building and walked down the steps to get to the back Spike noticed that the arm around him was also shaking and realize that Penn was closer to the brink then he had let on.

It was just shear force of will that had taken him this far and it was fast running out. Deciding to stop being such a brat he looped his arm around Penn's waist and helped hold him up.

Penn looked surprised at him but he didn't hide the gratefulness he felt in his eyes. Spike tried to shrug but the arm around his shoulder prevented him from doing that. Penn nevertheless caught the sentiment.

As they walked down the hall, more like hobbled down it, they both simultaneously stopped and stared at the big slide door in front of them.

Looking at each other Penn eventually sighed and helping Spike lean against the wall he turned to the door staring at the metal. He heard as Spike slid down the wall, groans of pain escaping from his clenched teeth. He could smell his blood perfuming the air choosing to ignore the scent that indicated that his blood was mingling there as well.

As he stood there in front of the door that was the only physical object separating them from their sire the barriers that he had built around him began to crumble. Lifting his hand that was shaking he swallowed down the lump that had stubbornly lodged in his throat.

Taking a deep breath, filling his lungs with the smell of the place but most importantly Spike, it spurred him on. They had managed to get this far and he was damned if he was going to stop here.

Knocking as hard as he could he waited.

Silence.

He knocked again, though this time not as forceful as the strength was fast bleeding out of him.

Please be home.

Silence.

His shoulder slumped as he turned to Spike and walked over to him. Sinking down to his knees he crawled the rest of the way to sit next to him. If this meant he had to wait, then he would wait but he would not leave until he had seen their sire.

"And now what?" Spike asked beside him. He sounded defeated and that was not something Penn liked to hear.

"And now we wait. He has to come home sooner or later." He nodded as well to emphasize his point, not – he assured himself – to convince himself.

TBC


	3. Part 3 of 4

**Title: **Seeking Shelter  
**Author:** Silvi (Henna)  
**Fandom:** Btvs/Ats  
**Genre:** Angst.  
**Rating:** Due to the undercurrents I would have to put this at a FRM. (In the old ratings that would be R )  
**  
****For further Disclaimers see part 1**

**Summary: **Takes off where Part 2 left off.

* * *

Part 3

Penn aroused from a light sleep and he mentally kicked himself for putting himself in such a vulnerable situation. They could have been attacked! What if the humans had found them! It made him slightly green to think of all the things that could have gone wrong.

"Don't." Spike mumbled beside him, still mostly asleep, huge shadows under his eyes.

Blearily he opened his eyes and fixed his dull eyes on Penn. "Don't, what's done is done and nothing happened."

"But what if…" Penn voice tapered off as Spike shook more forcefully his head.

As a sound reach Penn ears he remembered what had woken him up.

Angel was back. He had no doubt that it wouldn't be long before he would appear at the door as he most likely had by now sensed that they were there.

Turing his head to the door Spike followed his line of sight. He could barely keep his eyes open and he refused to think what that meant.

As Penn predicted within a few minutes the door slid – flew – open revealing Angel in all his dark glory. A stake twirling in one hand his eyes were filled with irritation and anger and yet still there was a smirk on his lips which slipped right off as his sight landed on them.

There were too many emotions going though his face and too fast for Penn to read them. He was still jumpy after seeing the stake. He watched entranced as it clattered to the floor and before he could raise his eyes to his Sire's, his ears were bombarded with the extremely, unpleasantly loud sound of Angel's horrified voice. It made his ears buzz.

"OH MY GOD!"

Angel exclamation basically bounced against the walls in the hall. He stumbled forward and sunk to his knees before them. Penn gave a small bleak smile as Angel reached out a hand and suddenly froze in the air like he couldn't believe his eyes, which come to think of it was most likely the case.

The doubt Penn had had about coming to him and which had risen considerably when he had seen the stake, which flicking his eyes to the side he saw had rolled out to the hallway, were slowly beginning to fade to the background. They weren't all gone but if what he had seen so far held true, their chances were getting better by the minute.

"Surely we don't look that bad, do we?" he said returning his attention to the big figure before him. His voice seamed to snap Angel out of his shock.

"P-Penn? By all…what in Hell happened to you two?"

"Hell… funny for you to mention that." Shaking his head his eyes landed on Spike who had rested his head against his shoulder and he realized why. He was unconscious. Turning pleading eyes towards his sire he said, "Please help us."

His heart sank as he saw Angel's eyes drift to Spike and his face go through a strange transformation; it was like everything bled out of him. And for the first time it really felt like the one before him was truly a stranger. He couldn't read anything off of him. In a way that rattled him more then anything he had gone through lately. He may not have seen his sire for a century but still…he still was his sire. Wasn't he?

Before everything was ruined he pleded, "Please sire, we seek your help and protection. Do not turn us away, I beg of you. I know what he did, but please help us."

There were black spots dancing before his vision but he stubbornly held on. He couldn't help but cringe as Angel lifted his hand and for a brief moment he though he could detect rage in those fathomless eyes.

Before him was the pleading of a Childe and he hadn't gone so far to be a true monster that he could deny that. Cupping Penn's cheek in his large hand he said, "I will not turn you away, Childe. Neither of you. After all you still need to tell me who did this to ye." The last was growled out as the part of him that was Angelus bled into him. The rage of the sight of the condition both his childer were in grew to unparallel proportions. His eldest and his youngest. My God.

He may have some issues with Spike but they would be solved differently.

His answering smile to the one Penn gave him as he realized that Angel wouldn't turn them away evaporated like mist in the Sahara desert as the grey eyes of his Gem rolled up in his head and he slumped forward, unconscious.

Angel's eyes widened with alarm as he hand shot out and supported him, Spike's head slipping down to land on Penn's lap.

He was fast becoming consumed with panic until he forcedly calmed himself as that wouldn't help any of them. He needed to assert where the smell of blood was coming from and do everything to take care of the visible wounds. Not to mention feed them or it wouldn't matter what he did as they would be dust, a prospect that left his insides freezing cold.

He was not willing to lose his boys.

If that made him evil and set him back in his quest for redemption then so be it. Hoisting both of them under his arms as he was unwilling to leave any of them out in the hall he carried them inside and as gently as he could he deposited them on his bed.

He briefly left to close the door. Seeing the stake lying on the floor he picked it up and threw it into a drawer a shudder going up his spine. As he returned and finally got the full sight of their condition he realized that he wouldn't be able to do this alone. He needed help but he was more then reluctant to ask for it.

He went into the bathroom and filled a bowl with warm water and a couple of towels. Placing them on the nightstand he then placed the towels under their feet cringing at their state.

He knew that they wouldn't like him bringing anyone into this but if he didn't they wouldn't be around to complain about it.

Walking to the phone he made the phone call. After a few rings Cordy picked the phone up.

"Hello. Cordelia Chase speaking."

"Hey Cordy it's me."

"Oh hi Angel. What's up?" she asked.

"What makes you think something is up?"

"Oh come on, you don't usually call my for just a chit chat. So…spill." Realizing she was right Angel sighed.

"I need your help but you're not going to like it."

"Ooookaayy, and why?"

"It's complicated and involves…hmmm Spike." He whispered.

"EXCUSE ME! Did I hear you right, Angel? Spike!"

"Yes, Spike. He's been hurt and he's not alone. He has Penn with him…he's another one of mine."

"ANGEL! You want me to help vampires! No not Vampires but Spike! Have you forgotten what he did to you?"

"No I haven't but please Cordy, now is not the time. They are in a really bad shape." He tried to calm his seer down.

"Not the time! Spike is a killer and I assume this Penn guy is the same, what's not to stop them from chomping on me and Wes? You obviously don't care about what'll happen to us but I do!"

"That's not it Cordelia and you know it." The urge to growl at her was rather hard to ignore.

"Don't Cordelia me mister. I can't believe you're asking me this."

Taking deep breaths to calm himself and not let desperation take over, he tried to say in the most level voice he could manage, "I called you because I trust you and I need you."

Apparently he wasn't that good at hiding his emotions because she eventually quietly asked," What do you need?"

"Blood, and a lot of it. Human."

Pause.

"Ok I'll be over there soon."

"Thanks Cordy." Before he could hang up he heard her call his name, "Angel?"

"Yes?"

There was silence for a moment and then, "Don't you ever pull that thing again, not like this. It's not fair."

Guilt rose in him as heard the hitch in her voice. She was going to be mad at him for a long time, he knew it but as he thought that his eyes landed on the two figures lying on his bed.

"I owe you one Cordy." He said quietly and the gratitude he felt could not be hidden.

"That you do." And with that came the sound of her hanging up.

TBC


	4. Part 4 of 4

**Title: **Seeking Shelter  
**Author:** Silvi (Henna)  
**Fandom:** Btvs/Ats  
**Genre:** Angst.  
**Rating:** Due to the undercurrents I would have to put this at a FRM. (In the old ratings that would be R )

_This fic was originally one big document but I have split it into four parts. That's the reason why it may seem a little cut off between places. Err I think._

**For further Disclaimers see Part 1.**

**Summary: **As with the previous parts this takes off where the other ended.

* * *

Part 4

He had been silently wondering were the heck he was going to start in the process to fix them.

This was an area he wasn't too good at. He knew a lot about picking a body apart but putting it back together in a way that wouldn't mean more pain… that was a whole new ball game. It had never interested him as Angelus as all of his victims were meant to die, eventually.

He decided to begin slow and started to remove the filthy cloth that was supposed to be clothing.

As he stripped them of it he noticed that they were in fact clothes, the remains of what had been theirs and he couldn't help wonder what became of Spike's duster.

He refused to think at all of the marks on their bodies as he knew that if he did he would completely lose it and kill everything in his way which was not a good thing as Cordelia was on her way.

Nevertheless his hands shook and if he had been able to look in the mirror he would see that his eyes were flecked with gold.

He had managed to get into them some of his blood as the pigs blood wouldn't be of any use right now.

Hearing the sound that indicated that Cordy had arrived, he absently laid one of the towels over theirs genitals. As he heard her call for him, a slight weariness in her tone he called back, "I'm here Cordy, in the bedroom."

He could hear her huff as she struggled with the container that had the precious cargo but he still couldn't make himself leave their side.

Over the heavy smell of his childer he could scent the apprehension as Cordy neared the double doors. He heard as she finally sat the heavy thing down, unable to hold on to it any longer.

He wanted to leave, prevent her form seeing them but he was frozen in place. As she stepped into the room her eyes landed on the two figures and whatever she had been about to say fled as she saw them. He had never seen anyone lose colour as quickly as she did. Her hands flew to her mouth and her face twisted in horror.

"Oh MY GOD, ANGEL! What the hell happened to them!" as she looked into Angel's eyes for an answer she inwardly cringed at the raw pain in them. She also knew that his demon was not so far below the surface.

"I don't know." Angel whispered as he turned his attention back to the two males on his bed.

"When I came home I scented Spikes presence and Penn's, though it hadn't clicked in my head yet. I was ready to really give it into Spike when I opened the door and saw them. They were sprawled on the floor and…they asked for my help, Cordy. Even after what it must have cost for them to get here they asked for my help. God and Spike! I just couldn't…I have to help them. I have to, you see that don't you?

But I don't know where to start. There so much. I'm not ready…I can't lose them, they're me boys, me boys."

Cordy had never heard him slip into his brogue before. She felt a pang in her chest as it reminded her strongly of Doyle even though it wasn't as pronounced as his had been. Hearing him though she knew what she had to do, even though she was convinced it was the wrong thing to do.

She loved Angel. He was the only real friend she had ever had and she couldn't turn her back on him. She wouldn't forget though that he still owed her for this. Wesley was beginning to take a similar place in her heart but for now she closed everything down so she could address the situation at hand.

Angel was still starring down at the two boys - his boys – when he felt a warm hand slip into his. Startled he looked down and into the determine dark eyes of Cordy. She tugged at his hand and said, "We can begin by cleaning them up."

Gratitude towards Cordy filled him and he gave her a shaky smile before stepping up to the bed. Both took a cloth and dipped it into the bowl of the now lukewarm water and began to clean them. At one point Cordelia couldn't help it, she dropped her cloth and with a hand over her mouth ran to the bathroom. Angel could hear her vomiting. He didn't blame her; in fact he would very much like to be able to do the same.

After a while she came back and sat down on the bed continuing where she had left off. No one comment to the fact that her hands trembled or that she had tear mask down her face.

The silence that had dominated the room with the small interruptions of changing of water broke when Cordy said, "What kind of monsters can have done this? Not even they would deserve it. I wouldn't wish this on anyone."

Sadly Angel looked up, "Humans, I can smell it on them, there are traces of demons but they are really faint, like one would get from being in the same room with one."

"H-Humans?" Cordy was looking shocked at him, not to mention unbelievingly at him. She didn't doubt Angel's sense of smell but a part of her rebelled against the possibilities of humans being able to do this. Humans are not supposed to be the bad guys. She wasn't naïve enough to think that cruelty was a trait that was beyond humans but the little part of her that was still the little girl bucked against the knowledge.

Angel saw the feelings raging inside of her and he knew that sooner or later truth would win out and a part of him mourned the loss of her innocence. A price anyone had to pay for having him in their life, something he was well aware of.

"Hmm. More then that I don't know what happened." he continued quietly.

Pausing Cordy quietly deposited the cloth back in the bowl and went to the living room where she proceeded to drag the container into the bedroom. They needed to get some blood into them or they would be dust, even she could see that. Now she understood the reason for the human blood which had eaten a rather huge hole into her account.

Setting aside his own cloth he sat on the bed and accepted the bags that she handed to him. Silently she watched as he proceeded to slowly drain the bag into them. It was painstakingly slow as Angel made sure that most of it went where it should go.

Cordy knew he could be patient but this was really something. For a long time she handed him the bags and he forced the liquid into them. Once Angel had deemed that he couldn't get any more into them they once again took up the task of cleaning them and bandaging their wounds. Once Angel left and when he returned he had a knife in his hand which made her heart leap a few beats.

Sitting back down he explained, "I have to reopen some of them or they will heal wrong." Numbly she nodded as she watched as he placed the tip of the knife against one of the ugly long scars that ran down the side of Spike's torso.

She couldn't help but be entranced with a morbid fascination as Angel with a skill which made her inwardly shiver and her mind shied away from the implications from where he had learned to do that reopened the wound, parting the flesh and stripping the ragged edges so that it would heal properly and without any scar. The blood he had put into Spike made sure that he would not turn into dust.

He had himself gone through the same treatment many times, though unlike Spike, he hadn't been unconscious. There were small mercies to have even in this situation.

Quickly he bandaged it up and did the same thing to other wounds on his body like the one that was in his inner thigh going almost up to the junction where the leg met the buttocks. He couldn't help but vamp out and for the duration of the treatment he stayed like that.

He would never be able to say to Cordy how much it meant for him that she didn't leave, but simply sat there, eyes grave even though she was a little pale.

She scooted over as Angel began to do the same to Penn. She had to reach out and lay her hands over his as his hands began to shake at the sight of him. After a few moments Angel took deep breaths and managed to go through Penn's treatments as well, his eyes burning pits of fire.

They were the windows to hell. Hell for those that had done this so Cordy wasn't surprised when his grave voice, more Angelus then Angel said, "They will die."

She didn't have any doubt that he wasn't talking about the two males laying on the bed. And she kept quiet.

Once Angel had finished with Penn he gently caressed his face. Standing up he gathered the strips of skin and went into the kitchen not at all oblivious to the shudder that Cordy made and bagged them, throwing it into the trash.

When he came back he noticed that Cordy had taken the bowls and returned them to the bathroom together with the soiled towels.

Looking at them he knew there was nothing more he could do at the moment.

Uh except changing the sheets which took all of ten minutes to do.

The putting them on the sofa, the stripping of the bed and turning of the mattress – he knew he would have to buy another one as he doubted the stench would leave anytime soon, not entirely – and the putting new sheets on with the help of Cordy and then the returning his two boys to the bed.

As he drew the comforter all the way up to their chin he heard her approach.

"What do you want to do with the sheets?" Looking at them in her hands she stepped up to her and took them from her.

"I'll burn them in the incinerator."

"Oh, ok."

Walking to the kitchen he grabbed the trash and made his way to the incinerator where he then watched as they were consumed by the flames.

As he returned he saw Cordy sitting on the couch looking down at her hands. She looked tired and weary – far too much for someone her age, and once again he was struck with the notion of what a true jewel she was and he counted his lucky stars to have her as his friend. He wouldn't ever forget what she did tonight, which reminded him that he had to give her the money for the blood.

Looking at her he decided to do it later. Moving toward the couch he looked at her watch and realized that they had worked most of the night off and that sunrise had been almost one hour ago.

Eh, and he hadn't even noticed.

Sitting down next to her he leaned back, exhaustion filling him. He relaxed into the couch and locked the infernal rage coursing through in him for a later date. It would have a release, but not now. But when that rage was set loose then the world would know once again why he was called the Scourge of Europe. At least among the demons.

He jerked a little as he felt Cordy rest her head against his shoulder. Neither of them spoke and as Angel moved to wrap his arm around her she settled in, her hand on his chest.

She was tired and exhausted from what she had witnessed and the nightmare they had let her glimpse so it wasn't long before she fell into a sort of sleep like trance, too much going on in her head for her to actually sleep.

Weird as it sounded she actually felt safe lying reclined against Angel, his arm around her and she idly wondered, is this what Spike and the other…Penn… had sought to find?

A lull settled in in the underground apartment as they both - for somewhat different reasons - waited for the two males on the bed to wake up.

The End.

What do you think? Should I continue it? What would you like to see happen? If I do continue it I had intended for this to be an Angel/Penn/Spike with a close Angel/Cordelia friendship.

/ Silvi Henna

This story will continue in 'Finding Shelter'. I know, corny name but that's the only name I could come up with.


End file.
